HS Baseball Takes A Step Closer to Wooden Bats

BBCOR stands for Bat-Ball Coefficient of Restitution. In layman’s terms, it’s the bounce-back or trampoline effect the bat’s surface has when the ball makes contact with it. Imagine dropping a tennis ball onto a tennis racket. It bounces much higher that it would if it were bounced off the ground. The different aluminum alloys that are used in making bats have this bounce-back or trampoline effect. The result is that hitters get better drive and lift on the ball than they would with a wooden bat.

In an effort to more closely emulate wooden bats and eliminate a banned process called “rolling”, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) approved a measure to only allow bats approved by the BBCOR process.

What is rolling?

Aluminum bats perform differently with age. The older a bat gets, the more balls that get bounced off it, the more flexible its aluminum becomes. Thus, the time just before a bat’s failure is its most flexible time. What has happened was teams were “rolling” their bats to make them more flexible. Rolling is simply placing the bat between two nylon or hard rubber rollers and rolling it. This artificially ages the bat and boosts its trampoline effect.

“Rolling was a big problem not just at the high school level but the collegiate level also,” said Rob Francis, St. Pete College’s Baseball Head Coach.

"I remember an adult softball league I played in, guys would take the bat out of the wrapper and bang it fifty times against a tree," said Robinson assistant coach Robin Rafferty. 

The practice of “rolling” is banned by both the NCAA and the FHSAA. Starting 2012, all aluminum and composite bats must meet the BBCOR specifications.

What are the BBCOR specifications?

The older process called BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) only measured the speed of the ball coming off the bat. The BBCOR process not only measures the speed of the ball coming off but the “bounciness” of the ball and bat. What the BESR process was not accounting for was the compression or lack thereof that was happening with older aluminum or composite bats.

When a baseball makes contact with a bat, it compresses, squishes down and much of the energy is dispersed. With an older aluminum bat, the flex in the aluminum wall allows for less compression of the baseball itself. Thus, much of the energy is sent right back into the ball.

This brings up a safety concern as well. With the ball sling-shotting off the bat in such a way, it puts infielders, especially the pitcher, under fire. The new BBCOR regulations will help by making the game just a bit safer.

What does this mean for the game?

First, it will mean less homeruns. Let’s take a look at the top five home run hitting teams in NCAA Division 1 baseball.

1.)   Georgia Tech – In 41 games in 2010, the Yellowjackets hit 90 home runs. In 41 games in 2011 they hit just 29.

2.)   Morehead State – In 41 games in 2010, they hit 88 home runs in 37 games in 2011 they hit 34.

3.)   New Mexico State – Hit 87 home runs in 44 games in 2010. In 2011, they hit just 28 homeruns in 40 games.

4.)   Georgia State – Hit 72 homeruns in 41 games in 2010; while only hitting 32 homers in 42 games.

5.)   Auburn – Hit 71 home runs last season in 41 games; while only hitting 27 in 39 games this year.

Clearly, the long ball numbers also will decline at the high school level next year. This will have a two-way effect. One, it will curtail the number of homeruns that are hit every year. That ball that just carried over the wall last year will drop in, likely for an easy out in 2012. The ball will have a little less zing as it comes off the bat. Liners that were too hot to handle in 2011, might be quick outs in 2012.

"If the NCAA was any indication, it's going to cut down offensive production," said Robinson head coach Kevin McCray. 

This will no doubt bring the runs/per game totals down. According to SPC Coach Rob Francis, the runs per game average in the NCAA this year dropped from 6.23 to 5.5. Doubles and triples will turn into base hits, tagging up will be a bit more difficult.

"It's going to change the premium of getting on base," said Rafferty.

The baseball world is decidedly split on the issue. Hitters obviously prefer the older aluminum bats.

“We have to make adjustments, shorten our swing, try to just hit line drives and just let homeruns happen,” said former Clearwater Central Catholic slugger, Jeff Campell.

"As a coach, there will be more focus on gap power; grounders and line drives," said Rafferty. 

There are several key differences from the older BESR bats. According to Campbell, the sweet spots are smaller, you notice mis-hits a lot more, it even sounds different.

Pitchers are obviously in favor of the change.

“It makes it easier on us,” said Campbell. “It allows us to throw inside more and use the whole plate. We won’t have to nibble away at the corners anymore.”

SPC Assistant Coach, Ryan Beckman feels the same way. “It allows pitchers to throw their fastball with confidence.”

“It will change the way amateur baseball is played,” said Francis.

With fewer long balls and lower velocity hits, the game will shift to more of a “small-ball” game. Base running, speed and defense will be earmarks of prep baseball next year.

“It’s making us re-evaluate how our rosters are made up,” said Francis.

"There will be a lot more 'small ball' and you'll see bunting much earlier in the lineup," said McCray.

Loading up a roster with a lot of power hitters is not going to pay the dividends it once did. Coaches will be looking for more complete players over power-hitters and there will be fewer power hitters to go around.

“It’s really going to separate kids that can hit and kids that can’t hit,” Francis continued.

“Kids at the top of the order are going to get their hits, but you’re going to see a lot more bunts and hit-and-run situations with the bottom of the order,” said Beckman.

"You're not going to be able to just put your best hitters in the three and four holes anymore," said MCray. "You're going to have to think more about your lineup top to bottom."

A great many coaches at the high school level will welcome the change. Base-running and fundamentals are focuses at the prep level.

“Bomb squad coaches won’t like it, (but) it’s great if you love defense,” said Francis.

The main thrust of the change is to more closely emulate bat composition at the pro level.

"A lot of our summer leagues are using wood bats," said Rafferty. 

Why not just go to wooden bats across the board?

Cost.

Major League teams shell out millions of dollars in salary every year. Purchasing 50, 60, 100 bats is a non-issue for them. Even some of the larger NCAA programs wouldn’t have a problem buying a forest full of wooden bats. However, the smaller colleges and high schools would be at a severe disadvantage. While wooden bats are cheaper to make, they last only a fraction as long.

Another limiting factor is availability and selection of wooden bats. While pro teams have contracts with manufacturers and get them straight from the factories, wooden bats have not hit retail stores with much selection.

"In our summer leagues using wooden bats, we've already seen a few of them broken," said Rafferty. "There's also a pretty limited selection at the stores." 

A decent BBCOR bat will run you from $150 to $300 and probably last for years. While a $50 or $60 dollar wooden bat, and that’s on the cheap end, might last you one at-bat before it splinters into firewood.

All signs point to this switch as a step in the right direction. The NCAA is a great indication of how the prep game will change next year. While homerun, RBI and offensive records will look unreachable, the strikeout, shutout and defensive records should fall like dominoes to any team able to capitalize on the shift in stratagem.